Excited to be a new member here!

[leondante]

Hello from Spain. I'm a platonic lover of Vmax since 2012, but never thought I would be able to afford one. I'm not able to do it yet, but I achieved to ask for a loan to get my very first Vmax. It's a really important milestone in my life, at least for me. I never touched any Vmax that wasn't the very mine and I'm still impressed that I have a Vmax inside my home. Here they are expensive, or very expensive. The now mine is from 92', and it only has 13500 miles. It's the USA version imported to Spain, the european ones have not the V-Boost thing and lacks almost 40 hp in comparison with any American version. I have a lot of ideas to put in practice in the coming year s about restoration and stuff. I don't like hard moddings, so I'm going with the classic look with few mods and a conservative mind about the engine. I like things to last a lot.

This bike has been around 16 years under a blanket so she got lots of moisture. All the aluminium parts have the barnish cracked and some are corroed and the chromed plastic parts are very bad too. I'll be thankful about any recomendation about how to chrome parts again or get those parts for few bucks or so. Any recommendation will be welcome. They are not repairable, the chrome is not there anymore. I know about it a bit and I'm sure that cleaning will not get that things good again. The parts will be painted, chromed or replaced. The chromed metal ones are some of really good, but the aluminiums and chromed plastic ones, all are deeply corroed. Mostly is just superficial, but in few spots they are really eated out. Hope my TIG welding machine and good sculpture abilities with sanding could get that holes filled again and the brightness back and my some-of-good painting skills could put barnish again over it to protect the whole thing.

Cheers and have good rides!

Edit: Grammar corrections. Help me with that, I'm not a native speaker.

 

[Fire-medic]

#1, I believe, is to have it operational, reliable, safe, and then worry-about the cosmetics.

https://ia800204.us.archive.org/14/...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf

Lots of answers here to questions you may have:
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/new-vmax-owner-faqs-new-members-please-read.21240/

Any plastic pieces which have 'chrome' flashing, those are going to need to be replaced, or just leave them the way they are. You can try to paint them but the results are not going to be very good, I expect. I'm referring to the rear shocks where you showed the 'chrome' of the top of the shock to be peeling.

Some common things people do to their pieces are to sandblast, media blast, or vapor blast, and then powdercoat. Pieces like the master cylinders on the handlebars need something like powdercoating if they are going to last. You can try painting them, but due to the corrosive nature of brake fluid, the paint probably isn't going to last very long.

Cast aluminum pieces like the passenger grab bar can be sanded-down and then clear-coated. You can also powdercoat or paint them, and they should stay looking good for awhile. If you decide to leave things in their natural aluminum color, you will need to regularly clean/polish them to maintain their appearance. If you're within a couple km of the ocean, I don't recommend trying to leave things in their natural aluminum state/color, as they will oxidize quickly.

I use a product available here, Martin Seymour Alumi Blast paint, which is made for aluminum castings. I'm sure that you should be able to find something similar in Europe. Here are some pics of pieces done with this product.

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/1988-vmax.52957/#post-531722



If you like the bare-aluminum appearance, then some sort of clear-coat will help to stop rapid oxidation. I've had good luck using a quality paint manufacturer's product, and taking time doing the paint preparation, having surfaces smooth and clean. If you have some pits then layers of primer and sanding to get smooth surfaces for the color coat should help your results. I am not a pro painter or mechanic, but by paying attention to suggestions of those who are, you should be able to get decent results.

Just to give you an option idea, here is a natural aluminum VMax engine.

 

[CaptainKyle]

Welcome ! All that aluminum will clean up with lots of elbow grease. I have a video on my YouTube page Kyle Clegg about cleaning up the scoops & the same process goes for most other aluminum parts.

 

[MaxMidnight]

If it has been standing around unused for those 16 years then as Mr Medic suggests the fist job will be to give it thorough going over first.

The carbs will probably benefit from stripping and may require ultrasonic cleaning.
Turn the engine over using the large hex on the flywheel to make sure it moves freely, some oil down the bores would also help.
Drain and replace all of the fluids as they will be well beyond their service life. Doing that will also give some indication as to how serviceable the brake and clutch mechanisms are. A full service (check sheet attached) should also be undertaken and do everything.
You will also need to change the tyres as they too will be beyond their service limit....yes, I know they look OK but they won't be. A blow out at speed tends to be messy.

That should be sufficient to get you running the engine.

The easiest way to deal with the alloy parts would be to remove any remaining clear lacquer with paint stripper first. It will save a lot of rubbing.

Also attached is how to refurbish and polish scoops. The process is the same for other alloy parts. IMO alloy looks better without any coating but your local weather conditions may dictate on what you need to do. If your part of Spain is manly dry then an occasional polish is all that's needed to keep the parts looking good.
I would have the radiator cover blasted to ensure all corrosion is removed. A light prime and topcoat can then be applied. I've used VHT engine enamel on alloy parts to good effect. It has been durable and gives a good finish. Remember that you only need sufficient paint to cover the substrates. Thick paint is more prone to chipping.

While you have the wheels out to replace the tyres (you are going to do that, aren't you?) then that would be the time to sort them out. Again, have the old paint removed by blasting before re-finishing. My preference would be for a two pack paint as IMO it is more durable that powder coat.

Apart from that....

 

[leondante]

Thank you for all the info. I really like the option of painting some ex-chromed parts, but I don't think they will be gray, but some other color along with all the other painting I have in mind. I've been thinking about painting just the plastic parts, and polishing the aluminium ones and then clear-coating them. I'm not in a bad weather part of Spain so even I don't need to I prefer to clear-coat the whole thing after polishing it. I have the knowledge and tools for that. I attatch here some pictures of a Virago 535 engine sides I polished and painted some years ago. This bike will be gorgeous if I get to give it some time for painting and polishing stuff. I'm also attatching a picture of a Vulcan EN500 wheel that I polished, engraved and clear-coated after priming it. That's still a pending project I have, to finish that Vulcan.

I really hate the fact that my Vmax has rust in the frame. I'm fully sure that I'm striping the damn thing fully apart and painting all the stuff. The rust is the common thing along any more-than-20-years-old vehicle. But I really hate it. I want this bike for pleasure, as I have already a Honda ST1300 for daily use and the Vmax is my favourite one. Is a piece of ar to me, and I bought it for having it neat and take rides with friends.

I'm also putting a picture of how is my ST1300 by the moment. I have a lot of frenetic work waiting for me ahead.

#1, I believe, is to have it operational, reliable, safe, and then worry-about the cosmetics.

https://ia800204.us.archive.org/14/...ice-manual/yamahavmaxvmx12-service-manual.pdf

Lots of answers here to questions you may have:
https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/new-vmax-owner-faqs-new-members-please-read.21240/

Any plastic pieces which have 'chrome' flashing, those are going to need to be replaced, or just leave them the way they are. You can try to paint them but the results are not going to be very good, I expect. I'm referring to the rear shocks where you showed the 'chrome' of the top of the shock to be peeling.

Some common things people do to their pieces are to sandblast, media blast, or vapor blast, and then powdercoat. Pieces like the master cylinders on the handlebars need something like powdercoating if they are going to last. You can try painting them, but due to the corrosive nature of brake fluid, the paint probably isn't going to last very long.

Cast aluminum pieces like the passenger grab bar can be sanded-down and then clear-coated. You can also powdercoat or paint them, and they should stay looking good for awhile. If you decide to leave things in their natural aluminum color, you will need to regularly clean/polish them to maintain their appearance. If you're within a couple km of the ocean, I don't recommend trying to leave things in their natural aluminum state/color, as they will oxidize quickly.

I use a product available here, Martin Seymour Alumi Blast paint, which is made for aluminum castings. I'm sure that you should be able to find something similar in Europe. Here are some pics of pieces done with this product.

https://www.vmaxforum.net/threads/1988-vmax.52957/#post-531722

View attachment 95447 View attachment 95449View attachment 95448

If you like the bare-aluminum appearance, then some sort of clear-coat will help to stop rapid oxidation. I've had good luck using a quality paint manufacturer's product, and taking time doing the paint preparation, having surfaces smooth and clean. If you have some pits then layers of primer and sanding to get smooth surfaces for the color coat should help your results. I am not a pro painter or mechanic, but by paying attention to suggestions of those who are, you should be able to get decent results.

Just to give you an option idea, here is a natural aluminum VMax engine.


View attachment 95450

 

[leondante]

Thank you for worrying about those years. Happily for me those years went by with the previous owner and he put it all in place and used the bike again some years before selling it. Today the bike rides and works perfectly, but that aesthetic damage did stay, as normal. Anyways all the fluids were really bad, and I changed today the brake fluids, the clutch one, the oil and filter, and just is left the coolant and rear transmision oil, that I'm doing it tomorrow. The front fork will get its own some weeks ahead. I did more things but are a lot to tell, anyways all of them are simpler things. The tyres are good, don't worry. They are not old, or cracked or without threads. I'll just check the pressure. Thanks again.

If it has been standing around unused for those 16 years then as Mr Medic suggests the fist job will be to give it thorough going over first.

The carbs will probably benefit from stripping and may require ultrasonic cleaning.
Turn the engine over using the large hex on the flywheel to make sure it moves freely, some oil down the bores would also help.
Drain and replace all of the fluids as they will be well beyond their service life. Doing that will also give some indication as to how serviceable the brake and clutch mechanisms are. A full service (check sheet attached) should also be undertaken and do everything.
You will also need to change the tyres as they too will be beyond their service limit....yes, I know they look OK but they won't be. A blow out at speed tends to be messy.

That should be sufficient to get you running the engine.

The easiest way to deal with the alloy parts would be to remove any remaining clear lacquer with paint stripper first. It will save a lot of rubbing.

Also attached is how to refurbish and polish scoops. The process is the same for other alloy parts. IMO alloy looks better without any coating but your local weather conditions may dictate on what you need to do. If your part of Spain is manly dry then an occasional polish is all that's needed to keep the parts looking good.
I would have the radiator cover blasted to ensure all corrosion is removed. A light prime and topcoat can then be applied. I've used VHT engine enamel on alloy parts to good effect. It has been durable and gives a good finish. Remember that you only need sufficient paint to cover the substrates. Thick paint is more prone to chipping.

While you have the wheels out to replace the tyres (you are going to do that, aren't you?) then that would be the time to sort them out. Again, have the old paint removed by blasting before re-finishing. My preference would be for a two pack paint as IMO it is more durable that powder coat.

Apart from that....

 

[Fire-medic]

A great job on the engraving on the wheel. It looks like one of those things where the closer you look, the more there is to see.

Here is info on a true artist in metal and paint, Ken Howard, who was a machinist, gunsmith, knifemaker and painter, also did engraving of firearms, He was best-known as 'Von Dutch.'

George Barris, so-called (by himself) as 'King of the Kustomizers,' had Howard do a '50 Ford Woody in free-form pinstriping. Very avant-garde.



Ken Howard painted a Bonneville racer airplane belly-tank car with a self-portrait (below). The 'drop-tanks' used on Lockheed P-38's were one source for these cars.



The car at Bonneville, sporting a variety of Ken Howard's artwork, in pinstriping, flames, and a self-portrait:



The Lockheed Lightning P-38, sporting a 305 gallon belly tank, the gas tank was often used for streamliners at Bonneville. The top two American Army Air Force pilots, Richard Bong and Thomas McGuire, who were credited with being the top two American aces in WW II, both earned their honors in P-38's.



We all like pictures and I expect that as you work through your bike, we will see plenty of pictures.

 

[MaxMidnight]

They are not old, or cracked or without threads. I'll just check the pressure.

Did you put them on recently if not how did you establish how old they are?

 

[leondante]

Here in Europe tyres come with week and year of manufacturing printed on it. Front one seems to be from 2004 and rear one from 2015. I'm impressed because they don't look anything older than a year old.

Even if we both, you and me, don't like those numbers, I'm taking my chances with them because I cannot afford to change them now. They seems as new and on the short ride I hard drived the bike didn't noticed anything bad. In the other hand, in my opinion I cannot judge things just because being old, because what really matters is if they are in good condition. I think it makes no sense despising things because age because age says a possibility and not a full fact about quality in non-expirable things, but I must confess that I really don't know how to check the insides of the tyre and if they can expire somehow.

At least the rubber is as new, soft, full of rubbery flesh and in good form. I'm glad and sad that I have experience with butchered tyres in cars and bikes, so be sure I've been driving with tyres in really worse conditions and I'm used to apply extra carefullness even with new tyres because I drive a lot and I'm used to do because I can't avoid to take big risks all the time. This is one of those times.

I'm driving as an old man again until I can change them, as I use to do in these situations, that I have over me all the time. There are two kind of bikers: the ones that fell and the ones that are going to fall. I'm still one of the last ones and I want to keep it that way. Almost 100K miles over motorcycles on my back and counting... Thank you for worrying.

Did you put them on recently if not how did you establish how old they are?

 

[Fire-medic]

The age of the tires is something that tells me I wouldn't use them based upon their manufacturing date. A catastrophic failure usually gives no warning other than a rapid decompression. On the rear, you might be able to wrestle the bike to the side of the road, but if it's a front tire, and especially if you're in a turn, the front end will just 'go-away,' and you and the bike are sliding down the pavement.

 

[MaxMidnight]

I'm not worrying just trying to offer advice; it's up to you if you choose to take it.
I agree with Mr Medic. Whilst I appreciate your financial position, we can't choose our accidents nor the outcome.
Some reading for you here, here and here.

 

[leondante]

You're right. It's that way. The only thing I respectfully disagree is that age (not an absurd amount of years of course) doesn't mean degradation. Installed tyres degrade easily because usually any vehicle is in bad environment for rubber and fabric as heat, cold, sun, pressure and forces... A well preserved quality brand slightly old tyre will be really better than a cheap brand new one, at least for me. Anyways I'm not saying that is good to use old tyres even if they aren't in bad shape at first sight.

The age of the tires is something that tells me I wouldn't use them based upon their manufacturing date. A catastrophic failure usually gives no warning other than a rapid decompression. On the rear, you might be able to wrestle the bike to the side of the road, but if it's a front tire, and especially if you're in a turn, the front end will just 'go-away,' and you and the bike are sliding down the pavement.

 

[leondante]

I did never ride with a 20 YO tyre and I want to keep it that way. I'm changing the front one, that's the oldest and most important one. It's just that I have no money, I spent everything on the Vmax already. Another ration of waiting for me, I just spent waiting 2 months to go get it from 500 miles far from home.

I'm not worrying just trying to offer advice; it's up to you if you choose to take it.
I agree with Mr Medic. Whilst I appreciate your financial position, we can't choose our accidents nor the outcome.
Some reading for you here, here and here.